UC players, students say Bearcats are bigger than just Jones

Despite Butch Jones leaving the University of Cincinnati, players and students still have the same feelings for the coach.

Jones announced he was leaving his coaching position Friday morning. He was named head football coach at the University of Tennessee.

Jones interviewed for at least two other positions this week before accepting the job at the University of Tennessee.

“We haven't had a team meeting until today and everyone's wondering what's going on,” defensive end Dan Giordano said.

Players were called to a mandatory team meeting early Friday morning. They knew Jones’ future at UC was still undecided.

The team meeting lasted only five minutes. In it, Jones told his players he was leaving.

"He went through his interview process he's had the last couple days and he filled us in on everything that's going on, the negotiations with contracts and at the end of the day we're here for a couple years -- four years each player -- and he had to think about the future and his family and his three boys, which we totally understand,” Giordano said.

Forty years ago, one of the greatest boxing matches in history took place in an unlikely setting: the capital of the Philippines. Muhammad Ali's epic win over great rival Joe Frazier in 1975 became known as the "Thrilla in Manila."